Who Has Earned the Right to Share Your Hope?

In creating one of my latest paintings, “Sisters in Hope,” I wrote this description: “Cherish the women who are there for you! I created this painting in honor of all my sister friends, the ones who pray for me and who want the best for me. These are women who have earned the right to share your hope.”

One reason I’ve chosen to write about relationships for the past decade is because I know how much of a challenge it is to understand who is really in your corner and who is hanging around the periphery of your life just waiting to mock, look down their nose, or shame you. People act petty and nasty to make themselves feel better, and some of them pretend to be our friends while they do it.

I hear from many different people who feel that because they’ve been hurt they’re “done” with friendship in general. But you can’t be that way. I understand how hard it is when you try to befriend someone only to realize that they haven’t been there for you or that they’ve hung around making jabs at you at every turn. When you discover someone who is in one way or another rooting for your downfall, you need to re-establish boundaries with that person.

At the same time, you can’t close yourself off for future friendships but you do need to be smart about who you share your hope with. Choose women who have proven that they want the best for you, they aren’t going to be jealous of your accomplishments or talk smack about you behind your back.

In other words, decide who has earned the right to share your hopes and dreams.

As I was creating this painting, I thought about the women who had been there for me, my sister friends and prayer warriors. These are women who are comfortable in their own skin. They aren’t competitive or petty. Your accomplishments make them happy because they like seeing women succeed.

As I painted, I thought about the women who walked side by side with me holding my hand, either through prayer or encouragement or just being there in some way. These are women who kept my hope alive when I thought it was done. Their strong spirits buoyed my beliefs. That’s why I call this painting “Sisters in Hope.”